Sun Path steps up to stakes in Silverbulletday

Sun Path already looks good, and there is reason to believe she can be even better making her stakes debut in the $150,000 Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds.

A slow start and a six-furlong distance apparently short of her best led to a second-place debut finish this past fall at Keeneland, but Sun Path made two runs in a sharp seven-furlong maiden win in November at Churchill. On Dec. 18 at Fair Grounds, Sun Path got her first chance in a two-turn race and totally dominated first-level allowance competition, drawing away in the homestretch to win by nearly 13 lengths.

That résumé in addition to her popular connections – owner-breeder Juddmonte Farms, trainer Brad Cox, and jockey Florent Geroux – will make Sun Path the favorite in the Silverbulletday, a mile and 70-yard dirt race for 3-year-old fillies that offers qualifying points to the Kentucky Oaks on a 10-4-2-1 basis.

Sun Path drew the outside post in the Silverbulletday, but not all nine entrants are expected to start. Plans for Princess Theorem as of Thursday were uncertain, but she is cross-entered in a Monday allowance race. The trainers of Silverbulletday entrants Minute Waltz and Divine Comedy said their fillies would go in the Monday allowance, leaving a field of seven at most in the Silverbulletday.

Sun Path is by Munnings out of Touch the Star, by Tapit, making her a full sister to 2020 Fair Grounds Oaks winner Bonny South. Cox believes Sun Path is a more advanced filly than Bonny South was at this point in her career. In her Fair Grounds win, Sun Path prematurely popped open the doors of her starting stall, which can be unsettling for a young horse. Tracks in the racing surface left by the starting gate appeared to distract her when she already had overwhelmed her foes in the homestretch, and Sun Path jinked toward the inside before leveling out and crossing the line with considerable power.

“She’s still going to improve with racing,” Cox said. “She’s had two nice works since her last race, the first one nice and easy, the last one where we did a little more. She looks really good. She’s grown a little since her last race and filled out.”

Souper Sensational, drawn on the rail with Declan Carroll, could prove a worthy adversary if she can run as well at two turns on dirt as she has around one on the Tapeta Footings surface at Woodbine. There, Souper Sensational won her sprint debut as a heavy favorite and returned to capture the seven-furlong Glorious Song by four lengths, earning an 87 Beyer Speed Figure that’s the highest in this field.

Trainer Mark Casse intended to stretch Souper Sensational to two turns in the Mazarine Stakes, but Woodbine was forced to cancel the end of its meet, including the Mazarine. Souper Sensational was shipped to Casse’s barn at Fair Grounds and has worked to her connections’ satisfaction over the local dirt.

“I’m not really worried about her getting over the dirt,” Casse said. “The distance, I don’t know about. You don’t ever know until you try. If I said I was positive she’ll run long, I’d be lying.”

Littlestitious only raced at seven furlongs but did ace her two-turn debut romping in the My Trusty Cat Stakes last month at Delta Downs, which has a six-furlong dirt oval. By Ghostzapper, Littlestitious is bred along the lines of a route horse and has improved through a five-start career that began in August at Indiana Grand.

“She took that race really well,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “She’s ready to go.”

Charlie’s Penny was a well-beaten fourth behind Souper Sensational in the Glorious Song but ran better than that last month in the six-furlong Letellier at Fair Grounds, where she finished third. Charlie’s Penny, by Race Day, makes her two-turn debut Saturday.

Barista beat four foes coming up the fence in an off-turf first-level allowance Dec. 31 and would need serious improvement to factor. Moon Swag, fourth in the Letellier, also makes her two-turn debut.

Marie Krantz Memorial

Dalika controlled the pace and never was seriously threatened winning the Blushing K. D. Stakes over the Fair Grounds turf course Dec. 19. A similar trip seems likely Saturday in the $100,000 Marie Krantz Memorial, and Dalika has a solid chance at a repeat victory.

That’s something the German import has not done in her 16-start career, her four previous victories followed by a defeat. Dalika, trained by Al Stall Jr. for Bal Mar Equine, has won two of her last three starts, and her defeat two races ago was a creditable fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 First Lady Stakes.

Xanthique stretches out from sprints and if sent to the front could outrun Dalika for the lead, but Dalika is drawn outside Xanthique and can work out a decent pressing trip even if she doesn’t make the lead.

Secret Message finished third as the 17-10 favorite in the Blushing K. D., caught wide while making her first start for trainer Brad Cox.

“Hopefully, she can save a little ground this time,” Cox said. “She trains really good.”

The 1 1/16-mile Krantz drew a field of nine fillies and mares.